Decorative lighting device



P. C. DITTMAN DECORATIVE LIGHTING DEVICE Dec. 8, 1936.

Filed May 2, 1955 Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention is directed to improvements in ornamental or decorative lighting devices.

It is the principal purpose of this invention to provide an ornamental lighting device embodying 5 a multiplicity of prismatic light diffusing bodies with a light source in such' a fashion that the prismatic bodies may be solid and yet appear to be each individually provided with a light source within the solid body.

I am aware that heretofore lighting devices using hollow pointed pyramidal or conical members arranged to form a star shaped ornamental light have been used. In the present invention, however, it is the purpose to mount the solid bodies so that the light is directed into the bodies radially from the light source and caused to be refracted and reflected within the solid bodies so as to cause them to glow in the manner above referred to.

My invention contemplates as a means of carrying out its purposes the provision of an ordinary electric light bulb about which the prismatic crystals are secured with one end thereof facin the light source and the crystals being radially arranged so that the light enters the end and is spread by refraction and reflection through the solid body.

The crystals may be mounted in several ways upon the bulb such for example as by fusing or cementing or otherwise mechanically securing them in position as shown in the drawing.

I will describe the preferred form of the invention by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 2 showing the manner in which the crystals may be fused or cemented directly to the bulb.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 represents an ordinary light bulb which has the light source or filament 6 therein, and which has the usual screw threaded plug 1 thereon for mounting the device in a lamp socket of the proper size.

My invention consists in supplying to this light bulb a plurality of solid crystals or prisms 8, 9, and II] in such a fashion as to substantially enclose the entire light source and to direct the light from said source radially into the crystals or prisms.

The exact shape of the several crystals is not v controlling, but they should be so shaped as to permit nesting of them together so as to prevent radiation of the light between the several crystals I to any appreciable extent. have shown the long pointed crystals 8 and 9 as polyhedrons having sixteen faces-eight faces of which are directed from about the middle of the link of the crystal outwardly to terminate in a point, while the other eight faces taper inwardly toward the light source. A central crystal Hl then completes the enclosure of the light source, and the plug has an annular flange H against which the longer crystals rest. I have shown the inner ends of the crystals 8 and 9 cut off somewhat so as to lie flat against the surface of the bulb 5. I found, however, that theonly advantage obtained by cutting off the crystals is an increase in the light transmitted through the crystals due to the better engagement of the cut off portion of the crystals with the bulb.

The crystals are made of glass which has a critical angle of refraction somewhere in the neighborhood of 42 so that, when the light enters the solid body of the crystal from the light source entering as it does at substantially right angles to the surface of the cut off end, this light strikes the outer faces and is reflected and refracted from the center of the crystal outwardly toward the outer tips so as to make the faces gleam or glow brilliantly as though the light source were in the crystal itself.

The means of mounting the crystals upon the bulb is shown in Figs. 1 to 3 as a mechanical means wherein each crystal has an opening therethrough, A wire I2 threads between the two crystals on the one side, thence through the top crystal Ill, and down between two crystals on the opposite side to the flange H, the ends of the wire being passed through the flange II and soldered or otherwise secured in position. The remaining crystals are secured in the fashion indicated in Fig. 3, that is by passing wires l3 and 13' around through each row of crystals and connecting them with wire 52, both ends of the wire I2 being anchored to the flange H.

In the structure shown in Fig. 4, the crystals are mounted in place by fusing them directly on the bulb 5, and a cement of transparent character indicated at l4 may be used if desirable. In the form shown in Fig. 4, the flange II has been directed parallel to the faces of the lower crystals 8' resting thereon so as to obtain a better support for the crystals which are fused or cemented on.

In the drawing I From the above description, it is believed that the construction and advantages of this device will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An ornamental lighting device comprising a light bulb and a multiplicity of solid prismatic translucent crystals arranged around said light bulb so as to substantially cover the exposed portion thereof and secured about said bulb, said bulb having a flange extending around the same against which the crystals rest, and meansfor securing said crystals to said flange, said pointed crystals having their long axes directed substantially radially with respect to the light source and having their operative faces directed at angles of less than forty-two degrees to their long axes.

2. An ornamental lighting device comprising a light bulb and a multiplicity of solid prismatic translucent crystals arranged around said light bulb so as to substantially cover the exposed portion thereof and secured about said bulb, said crystals having certain of the faces tapering inwardly toward the light bulb and other faces tapering outwardly from the light bulb, the tapering faces of said crystals making angles of less than forty-two degrees with the light rays entering the crystals from said light source whereby to cause the light rays to be reflected from one of said faces before passing out of the crystals.

3. An ornamental lighting device comprising a light bulb and a multiplicity of solid prismatic translucent crystals arranged around said light bulb so as to substantially cover the exposed portion thereof and secured about said bulb, said crystals having certain of the faces tapering inwardly toward the light bulb and other faces tapering outwardly from the light bulb, said other faces joining the first named faces at substantially mid points of the crystals, the tapering faces of said crystals making angles of less than forty-two degrees with the light rays entering the crystals from said light source whereby to cause the light rays to be reflected from one of said faces before passing out of the crystals.

4. An ornamental lighting device comprising a light bulb, a mounting member secured on said bulb and. having an annular flange, a multiplicity of solid glass crystals arranged around said bulb, means securing said crystals to said mounting member, said crystals comprising a plurality of elongated pointed crystals arranged radially about the bulb adjacent to said flange to present a star shaped outline when viewed from the front of the bulb, said pointed crystals each having one end directed toward the bulb and held in place by said securing means, each of said pointed crystals increasing in diameter outwardly from the bulb for a substantial portion of its length and then tapering substantially to a point at its outer end, the angles of the faces of said pointed crystals being less than forty-two degrees with respect to light rays entering the crystals from said bulb.

5. An ornamental lighting device comprising a light bulb, a member carried by said bulb for mounting crystals around said bulb, a multiplicity of crystals arranged around said bulb so as to substantially cover that portion of the bulb projecting beyond the mounting member, said crystals,

including a row of elongated pointed crystals arranged radially about the bulb adjacent to the mounting member, the elongated crystals having their inner ends flattened and held against said bulb, the elongated crystals having their opera- 

